Shively Labs
Shively Labs, a division of employee-owned Howell Laboratories, designs and fabricates FM broadcast antennas, RF filters, combiners, and coaxial components for commercial and public radio stations worldwide, having operated since 1963.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1963
- HeadquartersBridgton, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Shively Labs does
Shively Labs, founded in 1963, designs, fabricates, and sells FM broadcast transmission equipment for commercial and public radio stations worldwide. The company operates as a division of Howell Laboratories, Inc., an employee-owned parent corporation headquartered in Bridgton, Maine (Shively's operational headquarters is in North Highlands, California). With 11-50 employees, Shively is a niche specialty manufacturer serving demanding broadcast sites including mountainous terrain (Mt. Washington, Mt. Mansfield), dense urban environments (4 Times Square), and multi-station tower consolidations.
The product portfolio centers on three core lines: FM Antennas (panel antennas 6014/6016/6842, sidemount series 6810-6815 across low/medium/high power ratings, and legacy models); FM Filters and Combiners (bandpass filters 2500/2600/2700/2900 series up to 30+ kW, balanced combiners Model 2540 and 2640, branched combiners, notch filters, harmonic filters, and IBOC filters); and Coaxial Components (transmission line sections, elbows, directional couplers, adapters, flanges, patch panels, gas stops, and hardware in 7/8" through 4 1/16" sizes). Underlying technology is rooted in RF engineering rather than digital systems; the company's principal technical differentiator is the back-feed IBOC combining method, which passes analog and digital signals independently through the combiner and combines them in the antenna, eliminating the 90% digital and 10% analog signal losses associated with conventional high-level IBOC combining.
Shively's business model is quote-based B2B hardware sales targeting enterprise broadcast customers. Pricing is factory-direct with no public pricing disclosed; all products require consultation and custom quotation. The go-to-market motion combines enterprise field sales for large broadcast infrastructure projects, event-driven demand generation via trade shows (NAB, NRB, SBE Chapter 39, TAB, Alabama Broadcasters), and technical content marketing (TPO and VSWR calculators, technical bulletins, project case studies). Revenue derives from three streams: antenna fabrication, filter/combiner systems, and coaxial transmission components. The customer base spans commercial broadcasters (iHeartMedia, Entercom), public broadcasters (West Virginia Public Broadcasting, Vermont Public Radio, WNYC), broadcast infrastructure operators (Durst Organization), and educational institutions (Columbia University WKCR), with global installations across broadcast sites worldwide.
Shively Labs firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Shively Labs
- Legal name
- Howell Laboratories, Inc.
- Website
- https://shively.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1963
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Shively Labs, a division of employee-owned Howell Laboratories, designs and fabricates FM broadcast antennas, RF filters, combiners, and coaxial components for commercial and public radio stations worldwide, having operated since 1963.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Shively Labs industry classification
Industry- Product category
- FM Broadcast Equipment
- NAICS
- Radio and Television Broadcasting and Wireless Communications Equipment Manufacturing (334220), Radio and Television Broadcasting and Wireless Communications Equipment Manufacturing (33422)
- SIC
- Radio & Tv Broadcasting & Communications Equipment (3663)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Broadcast Transmission & Operations Services (Transmitters, Towers, Playout, Engineering) (MPAIAEAJ)
Keywords
Where Shively Labs is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bridgton
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Shively Labs business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- FM Broadcast Antenna Sales: Design, fabrication, and sale of FM broadcast antennas including low power, medium power, and high power models as well as broadband panel antennas
- FM Filters and Combiners: Sale of bandpass filters, branched combiners, balanced combiners, and notch filters for FM broadcast applications
- Coaxial Components: Sale of coaxial transmission line components including line sections, elbows, directional couplers, adapters, flanges, patch panels, and hardware
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Factory direct pricing - Contact for quote |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
Shively Labs product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Shively Labs designs, fabricates, and sells FM broadcast antennas, RF filters and combiners, and coaxial transmission line components for commercial and public radio broadcasters. Products include low/medium/high-power panel and sidemount antennas (6014, 6016, 6812, 6842), bandpass and notch filters (2500, 2600, 2700, 2900 series), branched and balanced combiners (2540, 2640), and coax components in standard broadcast sizes. The company pioneered back-feed IBOC combining technology for simultaneous analog and HD Radio digital broadcasting.
Product overview
Shively Labs is an expert fabricator of FM broadcast antennas and RF equipment, operating as a division of Howell Laboratories, Inc. since 1963. The product portfolio centers on three core offerings: (1) FM Antennas including panel antennas (6014, 6016, 6842), sidemount antennas (6810, 6812, 6813, 6814, 6815), and specialized models; (2) FM Filters & Combiners featuring bandpass filters (2500, 2600, 2700, 2900 series), balanced combiners (2540, 2640), branched combiners, and notch filters; and (3) Coaxial Components in multiple sizes (7/8", 1 5/8", 3 1/8", 4 1/16") including line sections, elbows, directional couplers, connectors, adapters, patch panels, and hardware. The company pioneered 'back-feed' HD Radio (IBOC) combining technology enabling simultaneous analog and digital broadcast transmission. Supporting tools include online TPO and VSWR calculators for broadcast engineers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- FM Antennas Professional FM broadcast antennas for radio stations, available in various power ratings (low, medium, high) and configurations including panel antennas and broadband models.
- FM Filters & Combiners RF filtering and signal combining equipment including bandpass filters (up to 30+ kW), branched combiners, balanced combiners, and notch filters for multi-station broadcast sites.
- Coaxial Components Transmission line components in various sizes (7/8", 1 5/8", 3 1/8", 4 1/16") including line sections, elbows, directional couplers, connectors, flanges, patch panels, gas stops, and hardware kits.
- 6016 Broadband FM Panel Antenna Broadband FM panel antenna designed for multi-station broadcast facilities, capable of handling both analog and digital (HD Radio) signals with dual feed systems.
- 6014 Broadband FM Panel Antenna Broadband panel antenna with dual parallel feed systems designed to combine analog and digital signals in the antenna radiators for HD Radio implementation.
- 6842 Broadband FM Antenna Broadband FM antenna model designed for professional broadcast applications.
- 6812 Antenna Series Series of FM broadcast antennas specified for use in broadcast installations such as West Virginia Public Radio.
- Branched Combiner RF combiner designed for multi-station broadcast sites using branched combining technology.
- Balanced Combiner Balanced RF combiner system for combining multiple FM broadcast signals.
- Model 2914 Bandpass Filter Series Bandpass filter series in the 2900 series for FM broadcast signal filtering applications.
- Model 2524 Bandpass Filter Series Bandpass filter series available in convection and forced air configurations for various power levels.
- 2900 Notch Filter Series Notch filter series for FM broadcast applications to reject specific frequencies.
- Harmonic Filter Filter designed to suppress harmonic frequencies in broadcast transmission systems.
- IBOC Filter Small filter designed to keep DAB signals within the iBiquity spectral mask for HD Radio/IBOC digital broadcasting implementation.
Quantifiable outcome
- 90% digital and 10% analog signal losses eliminated through back-feed IBOC method
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Shively Labs
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Shively Labs technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Shively Labs partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, core and minor.
- Broadcast ElectronicsstrategicEquipment partner for IBOC testing at Cougar Mountain. Provided Fsi-10 IBOC signal generator, BE-Fxi-60 digital FM exciters, and technical collaboration on IBOC combining technology development.
- iBiquitystrategicTechnology partner for IBOC digital radio testing. Provided DAB encoder and processing equipment and technical collaboration on digital radio implementation standards.
- Howell Laboratories, Inc.coreParent company of Shively Labs. Howell Laboratories is an employee-owned company based in Bridgton, Maine that owns and operates Shively Labs as a division.
- World TowerminorTower vendor that worked with Shively Labs on the Nevada mountain project. Tower manufacturer approved Shively antenna mounting and mechanical specifications.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Shively Labs competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Dielectric Communications: A leading US manufacturer of FM and TV broadcast antennas, transmission line, and RF systems. Directly competes with Shively in FM broadcast antennas, filters, and combiners for radio station customers.
- Jampro Antennas: Manufacturer of FM, VHF, and UHF broadcast antennas plus RF components for radio and television broadcasters. Directly comparable to Shively in FM antenna and combiner offerings for professional broadcast sites.
- RFS (Radio Frequency Systems): Global manufacturer of RF and broadcast transmission equipment, including FM broadcast antennas and combiners. Competes with Shively on multi-station broadcast sites internationally and in North America.
- Electronics Research, Inc. (ERI): ERI manufactures FM and TV broadcast antennas, combiners, filters, and structural tower systems for radio broadcasters. It is one of Shively's closest direct competitors in the US FM broadcast equipment market.
- Myat Inc. US manufacturer of RF coaxial components, transmission line, and broadcast intermodulation panels for the broadcast industry. Closely comparable to Shively's coax product line serving the same broadcast customers.
Others
- Bird Technologies: Manufacturer of RF test, measurement, and power components used across broadcast and wireless networks. Adjacent rather than direct — serves the same broadcast engineering customers with complementary test and monitoring products.
Broad incumbents
- Comsearch (CommScope): CommScope/Comsearch provides large-scale RF and broadcast infrastructure equipment including antennas for wireless and broadcast applications. Overlaps with Shively in broadcast RF but operates across a much broader telecom infrastructure portfolio.
- Kathrein: Large diversified antenna manufacturer with broadcast, mobile network, and satellite product lines. Competes with Shively in broadcast antennas but operates at significantly larger scale with a much broader portfolio.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Shively Labs social profiles
Digital presenceShively Labs financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Shively Labs leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Shively Labs funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Shively Labs M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Shively Labs
What does Shively Labs do?
Shively Labs designs, fabricates, and sells FM broadcast antennas, RF filters and combiners, and coaxial transmission line components for commercial and public radio broadcasters. Products include low/medium/high-power panel and sidemount antennas (6014, 6016, 6812, 6842), bandpass and notch filters (2500, 2600, 2700, 2900 series), branched and balanced combiners (2540, 2640), and coax components in standard broadcast sizes. The company pioneered back-feed IBOC combining technology for simultaneous analog and HD Radio digital broadcasting.
Is Shively Labs a public or private company?
Shively Labs is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Shively Labs founded?
Shively Labs was founded in 1963. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Shively Labs based?
Shively Labs is headquartered in Bridgton, United States, in the North America region.
How does Shively Labs make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. FM Broadcast Antenna Sales are the primary driver. The others are FM Filters and Combiners and coaxial Components.
Who are Shively Labs's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Dielectric Communications, Jampro Antennas, RFS (Radio Frequency Systems), Electronics Research, Inc. (ERI) and Myat Inc.. Bird Technologies is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are Comsearch (CommScope) and Kathrein.
Does Shively Labs have an API?
No public API is recorded for Shively Labs.
What industry is Shively Labs in?
Shively Labs's product category is FM Broadcast Equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIAEAJ, Broadcast Transmission & Operations Services (Transmitters, Towers, Playout, Engineering). Its NAICS code is 334220 and its SIC code is 3663.